Fijian Drua Chief Executive Mark Evans (left), FRU Interim Chair Peter Mazey [Source: Fijian Drua/ Facebook]

Now that the Rooster Chicken Fijian Drua women’s side is fully administered by Counter Rugby Pte Limited, some players will have joint contracts between the franchise and the Fiji Rugby Union.

Chief Executive, Mark Evans confirmed this during a press conference in Suva yesterday.

Evans explains that since the Super W competition in which they participate lasts only 13 weeks, the signing ensures that players will continue to be paid for their services when they progress to the Fijiana national 15’s team.

“We operate that thing for 13 weeks and we pay staff for 13 weeks and the players and for some of the players that will be it. But the ones that will go to national team, we hand them over at the end of the season and they are under the auspicious of the FRU.”

He adds the players will now come under a joint contract between the Fijian Drua and the Fiji Rugby Union, and earn a salary for the first time when playing in national colours, instead of allowances.

“We don’t work on allowances, none of the men are on allowances, they are on a salary and we wanted, as did FRU, we wanted to try and get the women as close to that as we could as quickly as possible and the obvious way to do that is to do a joint contract.”

The hunt now begins for the new coaching and management staff for the Fijian Drua women’s side as well as contracting of players before their 2024 season-opening match on March 17th against the Reds, the team they beat to win this year’s title.